Is 16GB of RAM Enough for a New Gaming PC Build?

For gaming, I'd say you want a minimum of 32GB. Whatever specs a game lists, you should probably double it for smooth performance. I wouldn't even consider building a Windows 11 rig with only 16GB, as it would feel sluggish.

Going with 16GB on this kind of build isn't really a great idea. You’ll likely run out of memory fast and end up with performance issues. I recommend going with 32GB. Plus, consider the Ryzen 5800X3D for even better performance. If budget is tight, maybe cheaper options for the GPU would be a better route.

Yeah, 16GB is pretty much the bare bones now for gaming. You can handle some games, but be careful with how many background programs you run. You might start seeing some serious slowdowns if you're not careful. I'd really recommend bumping it up to 32GB if you can.

Honestly, 16GB is really just the bare minimum for gaming these days. You might get by playing games, but if you tend to run other applications or browser tabs in the background, you could run into performance problems pretty quickly. I would suggest aiming for at least 32GB, just to be safe.

If you're building a new PC, why settle on AM4? AM5 might cost more initially, but an entry-level 9600X could keep pace with a 5800X3D and give you a chance to upgrade later. Also, using a single 16GB stick will put you in single-channel mode, which might hit performance in some games. Keeping gaming to one machine while using another for background tasks could be a way to manage with 16GB, but I’d still be cautious about stutters depending on the games you play.